Saturday, November 25, 2006
Flames Game Night
It is presently forty-two degrees Celsius (75F) warmer right now in Los Angeles than it is in Calgary, so I suppose this is as good a time as any for a SoCal road trip. The Flames play the Kings at 830MT, and it's radio only.
The word around the campfire earlier in the week was that Jamie McLennan will probably get his 2nd start of the season tonight, as (A) the Flames play a late-afternoon game against the Ducks tomorrow, and (B) Kings Suck.
This reminded me that back in the Smythe Division days, Rick Wamsley used to joke that the only starts he could count on were against the Kings and the Russians (those mid-season exhibition tours). So I looked it up to see just how much he did play: his three full seasons in Calgary, his GP were 35/36/29. By contrast, the last Flames PPV vs. Boston had a web-poll question: How many games do you predict McLennan will start this season? I forget which middle choice won, but I recall clearly that "5 or fewer" got more votes than "15 or more".
Anyway, as noted, the Kings are not good at all. If the Flames can manage to avoid excessive time in the penalty box, they should win going away. They're due for a scoring explosion; I'm feeling a March-in-St.-Louis vibe, or put another way, Calgary wins 7-2 (3PP, 3EV, 1SH goal; Phaneuf x2, Hamrlik, Huselius, Tanguay, Iginla, and Friesen). Go Flames.
The word around the campfire earlier in the week was that Jamie McLennan will probably get his 2nd start of the season tonight, as (A) the Flames play a late-afternoon game against the Ducks tomorrow, and (B) Kings Suck.
This reminded me that back in the Smythe Division days, Rick Wamsley used to joke that the only starts he could count on were against the Kings and the Russians (those mid-season exhibition tours). So I looked it up to see just how much he did play: his three full seasons in Calgary, his GP were 35/36/29. By contrast, the last Flames PPV vs. Boston had a web-poll question: How many games do you predict McLennan will start this season? I forget which middle choice won, but I recall clearly that "5 or fewer" got more votes than "15 or more".
Anyway, as noted, the Kings are not good at all. If the Flames can manage to avoid excessive time in the penalty box, they should win going away. They're due for a scoring explosion; I'm feeling a March-in-St.-Louis vibe, or put another way, Calgary wins 7-2 (3PP, 3EV, 1SH goal; Phaneuf x2, Hamrlik, Huselius, Tanguay, Iginla, and Friesen). Go Flames.
Comments:
Has Calgary scored 5 goals in a game yet this year? I made that prediction at the beginning of the year, but admit I havn't been following the Flames much.
Calgary has the 5th worst powerplay and you're calling for 3 PP goals? Very bold prediction even against such a crappy team.
I can think of a lot worse things than a reputation for blowing out only awful opponents, and infrequently at that. "Stempniaked", despite its initial usage, has not entered the lexicon because the worst team in the league kept beating the Flames, you know. (And, "getting shut out by Jason Bacashihua has really damaged our playoff hopes" wasn't spoken by anyone in the Flames organization either.
I stick by my prediction: no Thousand-Yard Stare tonight, folks.bl
A reputation for choking in the first round of the playoffs?
Like the Oil did in their previous 4 trips to the playoffs before this past year?
"Stempniaked", despite its initial usage, has not entered the lexicon because the worst team in the league kept beating the Flames, you know. (And, "getting shut out by Jason Bacashihua has really damaged our playoff hopes" wasn't spoken by anyone in the Flames organization either.
Reading that, and then seeing the final score, just made my night. In fact, it may be the highlight of the hockey year thus far. Man, Garon and his .898 SV% must have been killer between the pipes.
Don't worry, Matt. I'll update the standings for you.
Minny, Calgary, and Hongcouver all lost. That's pretty much just as good as 2 points for the Oilers anyways.
The Flames were a bad team on the road last year and they're a bad team on the road this year. It's hard to figure out why they can't get their act together away from the 'Dome.
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Has Calgary scored 5 goals in a game yet this year? I made that prediction at the beginning of the year, but admit I havn't been following the Flames much.
Calgary has the 5th worst powerplay and you're calling for 3 PP goals? Very bold prediction even against such a crappy team.
I can think of a lot worse things than a reputation for blowing out only awful opponents, and infrequently at that. "Stempniaked", despite its initial usage, has not entered the lexicon because the worst team in the league kept beating the Flames, you know. (And, "getting shut out by Jason Bacashihua has really damaged our playoff hopes" wasn't spoken by anyone in the Flames organization either.
I stick by my prediction: no Thousand-Yard Stare tonight, folks.bl
A reputation for choking in the first round of the playoffs?
Like the Oil did in their previous 4 trips to the playoffs before this past year?
"Stempniaked", despite its initial usage, has not entered the lexicon because the worst team in the league kept beating the Flames, you know. (And, "getting shut out by Jason Bacashihua has really damaged our playoff hopes" wasn't spoken by anyone in the Flames organization either.
Reading that, and then seeing the final score, just made my night. In fact, it may be the highlight of the hockey year thus far. Man, Garon and his .898 SV% must have been killer between the pipes.
Don't worry, Matt. I'll update the standings for you.
Minny, Calgary, and Hongcouver all lost. That's pretty much just as good as 2 points for the Oilers anyways.
The Flames were a bad team on the road last year and they're a bad team on the road this year. It's hard to figure out why they can't get their act together away from the 'Dome.
Post a Comment
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